“CAPTAIN” Grace sprang up, gasping for breath, for she had been thrown violently against the end of the post when the other end struck the door.
“Are you hurt, Elfreda?” she cried.
“Of course I am.”
“Forget it and let’s get out of here,” urged Grace, assisting her companion to her feet. “If they catch us now they surely will have a case against us.”
“I can’t forget, but I’ll try to get out,” promised Miss Briggs, rubbing a tender spot on one arm.
They hurried from the cellar to the street. Grace looked up and down the street, then started to the left, having discovered what seemed to her, from his attitude of bored indifference, to be an M. P. As she neared the man she recognized him. It was this M. P. who had assisted the Overton girls to the truck the night before.
“I am truly glad to see you, Buddy,” criedGrace. “We are in difficulties again. We were locked in a cellar as suspicious characters and have just broken jail. Can you tell me if the headquarters of Company A, Forty-seventh, is anywhere near? Also where may I find the Intelligence headquarters?”
“Forty-seventh is at the other end of the town. Intelligence headquarters is the last building before you reach the river bridge right on the way you are headed.”
“What river?”
“The Moselle. Heinie is camped on the other side of it, so be careful that you don’t get too near the bridge or you are liable to be picked up again. Come along, I’ll show you the way. It’s on my beat.”
Grace thanked him gratefully.
“You do not happen to know whether or not Captain Boucher is there, do you?”
The M. P. said he did not, but presumed so, for there was some sort of a council of war being held at the headquarters.
The M. P. left them at the door and Grace entered, halting when she found herself facing a sentry. She said she wished to see Captain Boucher on a matter of importance and asked the sentry to send her name in to the officer. The sentry told her he did not believe Captain Boucher wished to be disturbed, but she insistedthat she must see him, so her name was sent in and Grace and Elfreda were seated in the hall.
The Intelligence officer came out immediately and greeted them with great cordiality.
“What can I do for you?” he questioned, smiling down into the flushed face of Grace Harlowe. “Is it something connected with the affair we were speaking of?”
“Not directly. The person that I said knew something about it is, I believe, working for us. I am quite certain that he will have something to report. Have you discovered anything?”
“I have verified your statement.” He smiled grimly. “Beyond that we have not gone. But you have something else to say to me?”
“Yes, sir.” She glanced at the sentry.
“Come into the kitchen. There is a conference in the front room. Now what is it?” he demanded when they had reached the rear room and the door was closed behind them.
“I have just broken out of jail and have come here to ask you to straighten the matter out for me. Miss Briggs is a lawyer, but her sort of law isn’t good on the western front. Besides, she is an accessory both before and after the fact, as she would characterize it.”
“I don’t quite understand,” wondered the captain.
“It is not customary with me to carry my troubles to others, but something must be done or I shall have to go to General Gordon and enter a formal complaint, which I do not wish to do,” began Grace. She thereupon related the story of their ejection from the cottage where they had planned to berth the previous night; their finding a place to sleep in a camion; the arrival at the river and their arrest and imprisonment in the cellar, followed by their smashing the door and taking matters into their own hands.
As Grace related the story a flush mounted to the temples of the Intelligence officer.
“Outrageous! Asinine!” he exclaimed explosively. “You are right, this sort of thing must be put down. I think I see how it happened that you were kept in the cellar. We are on the border of the enemy territory, theoretically on it already, and the officers are very busy this evening, for we have many uncertainties ahead of us.”
“I understand, sir, and should not have come to you, but for the fact that I am likely to be picked up by the M. P. again at any moment.”
“Rest easy. I will attend to that.”
“Thank you. Please do not report the eviction incident. We can settle it when we get tothe Rhine, or perhaps by then it will have settled itself,” urged Grace.
“As I was saying, the officers being very busy, the sergeant’s report may not even yet have been read by the officer in command. I am glad that you took matters into your own hands. Have you a place to sleep to-night?”
“Not yet, sir.”
“You ladies will remain here. I will have two cots put in the kitchen. We shall be in conference more or less most of the night and you may not get much sleep. However, it will be better than nothing. In the meantime I will send an orderly to report that you are here and to vouch for you. Where is your equipment?”
Grace told him that it was left in the truck, and described as well as she could the place where the truck might be found.
“Good. Don’t worry. I will also send word to Major Colt so he may know where you are to be found. He has been looking for you, but all he could learn was that neither of you ladies had been seen all day. No one appeared to know what had become of you. He wishes you to go up with him to-morrow. Will you go?”
“Yes, sir, provided I am not then in jail.”
“Very good. I’ll send word to him to that effect,” laughed the captain. “In the meantimemake yourselves tea or coffee. There’s army bacon in the chest and potatoes in the woodbox.”
“Pardon me, but have you had mess?” asked Grace.
“Haven’t had time to attend to that. In fact, I had forgotten all about it.”
“With your permission we will get supper for you.”
“That will be fine. Thank you.”
“How many?” questioned “Captain” Grace.
“Just three,” replied the Intelligence officer quizzically. “The others have messed, but perhaps they will be glad of a pot of tea while I am eating with you.”
The Overton girls busied themselves at once and soon had a savory meal going. There were bacon with eggs, French fried potatoes, a bread pudding made of crusts of bread and dressed with a mound of jelly, baked beans and a plate of sardines.
“Something of a hodge-podge,” observed Grace, surveying the layout rather disapprovingly. “It lacks something, but I can’t think what.”
“I know what,” spoke up Elfreda. “It lacks three people with appetites. The odor of that bacon and eggs nearly drives me frantic, and if we don’t sit down soon my appetite will overcomemy better judgment. The tea is ready for the council of war. I suppose they have their mess cups with them.”
“If not, they will be obliged to drink out of the teapot. I’ll hand it in.” Grace tapped on the door, which was opened by Captain Boucher. “The tea, sir. Have you cups?” The captain nodded and Grace pointed to the table. The signal was unnecessary, for the captain’s eyes and nose had informed him that supper was ready.
The officer joined them soon afterwards, and a pleasant chat helped to compensate for what was lacking in food. He declared that it was the daintiest meal he had had, outside of Paris, since coming to France.
“I will send in your belongings as soon as they arrive. You may then turn in and will not be disturbed. You can lock the door leading into the front room if you wish.”
Grace thanked him, saying that she preferred to leave the door unlocked. They had about finished clearing up after the meal when Captain Boucher entered with two soldiers who had brought the girls’ things from the truck. There was also news for them. Their difficulty had been adjusted, and nothing further would be done in the matter. As Captain Boucher had surmised, the officer to whom the sergeant submittedhis report on their arrest had not even taken time to look at it.
“I presume the French Government will bring in a bill for the door we broke down,” suggested Grace laughingly.
“Trust the French for that. One never has to ask them for a bill. Oh, by the way, Major Colt’s car will be here for you at nine-thirty. He asks me to say to you that he has signed you up for an interesting voyage in the skies.”
“Do you think, sir, that he has flying togs that I could use?”
“That will be provided. You will have a cold sail, but I don’t suppose you will mind that after your months of campaigning.”
“No, sir. How will Miss Briggs ride?”
“In the major’s car with myself and two others. She will ride out to see you make the start. Good-night. Hope you sleep well. The cots are standing up there in the corner.”
Grace and Elfreda made preparations for retiring and were soon in bed and asleep, Grace undisturbed by the noise or the thought of what was to be a thrilling day for her on the morrow.